Living with a brain injury — Mother Teresa — Do It Anyway!

Hello and welcome back to Second Chance to Live my friend. Thank you for deciding to stop by to visit with me. Through out the articles that I write for Second Chance to Live and the video presentations that I create for You Tube I encourage you; my friends, to pursue your passions in ways that work for you. That you use your God given gifts, talents and abilities to empower both your life and the lives of the people that God brings into your life.

In my pursuit of channeling my passions through my God given gifts, talents and abilities — in ways that work for me — I have found that there are individuals who minimize, marginalize, dismiss and discount what I do through Second Chance to Live. In your experience, you may also have people in your life who minimize, marginalize, dismiss and discount how you feel led to use your passions through your God given gifts, talents and abilities in ways that work for you.

Those individuals may not see the value of what you bring to the table of life. My suggestion to you — as I need to encourage myself — Do It Anyway!

For many years, as I have shared in previous articles I attempted to fit my square peg – who I am as a unique individuals – into the round holes of other people’s expectations. Consequently, I felt as though who I was as an individual simply did not matter. Instead of learning how to and celebrating what I could do, I focused on what I could not do with my life. In the process, I found that I berated myself because of what I was unable to accomplish. In the process I judged my efforts and in practice, fought against myself.

My experience has proven that although I may not be able to do everything, I can do something as Helen Keller said so eloquently, “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” With my awareness, I have come to accept that I will not be able to reach everyone with the message of encouragement, motivation, empowerment and hope that I put forth through Second Chance to Live. But I can reach some.

You may have people in your life who overtly or covertly minimize, marginalize,dismiss and discount how you are using your your passions through your God given gifts, talents and abilities. My encouragement to you my friend is, as I need to encourage myself, Do It Anyway. Use your creative uniqueness to channel your passions through your God given gifts, talents and abilities in ways that work for you. Although you may have people in your life who may not be able to value your vision, pursue your mission.

By doing so, my friend, you will be a blessing to the individuals who a loving God brings into your life, because they will want what you have to give. And as you give, remember as is so eloquently stated in the last line of the prayer,”In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway”.

Here is a prayer that is found written on the wall in Mother Teresa’s home for children in Calcutta.

Do It Anyway!

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

“Insist on yourself, never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another, you only have an extemporaneous half-possession…Do that which is assigned to you, and you can not hope too much or dare too much.”Ralph Waldo Emerson

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